Disclosure: This shop has been compensated by Collective Bias, Inc. and its advertiser. All opinions are mine alone. #InstaClean #CollectiveBias
Sometimes with working, multiple schedules, and little ones thrown into the mix, keeping a clean home can get difficult. Right around the time Wyatt turned three he was super-interested in whatever I was doing. Especially household stuff! Whenever William or I would do a load of laundry, or wipe down a window, he always wanted to help.
Now, if I haven’t said it before – I’ll say it now. I’m a total control freak. So the inner control freak was telling me not to let him help, because it would make the task take ten times longer. But as I looked at his sweet little face and saw his eagerness to help – I quickly gave in. And although a part of me wanted to keep him little – I had to realize that he is growing. FAST.
Letting him help that one time gave him so much confidence. He looked so proud when he was finished. So I started letting him help with other things. He helps me put water into the fridge, put wet clothes into the dryer – he even feeds his fish, sometimes the dog too!
He is such a little helper and I am so grateful to have such a sweet little one. I have everything in a little kit that I keep under the sink so when we’re ready to clean, everything is there. I picked up our supplies at Kroger (Kroger Affiliates include: Bakerโs Supermarkets, City Market, Dillons Food Stores, Fryโs Food And Drug, Gerbes Super Markets, Harris Teeter, Jay C, King Soopers, Owenโs, Pay Less Super Markets, QFC, Ralphs, Scottโs, Smithโs, Fred Meyer, and Food 4 Less) when we were out on a grocery run and having everything in a single location makes it easy to do a quick touch up around the house.
We also created a little chore chart – when Wyatt is done with a task we give him a sticker to place over the box. I created his on the computer, nothing fancy – just something fun so we could “check-off” things as we got them done. It helps to keep us on track!
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Do your little ones help you around the house?
What types of things do they do?
My little ones LOVE helping! It’s so cute and fun for them and melts my heart to have such great helpers!
No kiddies in the house, but if I did have them I would want them to help if they were up to it. I wish my Mom had made me clean more, then I would be an even better house cleaner then I am. I am pretty good but I bet with 10 more year of experience (if I had cleaned as a child) I could be great!
I like the idea of a chore chart and I think it’s good to let kids help around the house. Start ’em young they say, so that when they grow up, they won’t be lazy ๐ We use Pledge at home, too.
My daughter loves sweeping but she’s forever sweeping in the “cleaner” places! Haha toddlers are such a handful but I’m loving it.
I remember helping my Mom clean the coffee tables and living room as a kid. I still love the smell of pledge to this day, because of those early years. Funny hey?
Hehe I love it when my little helps me clean…. It just too cute ๐ hopefully she keeps the cleaning attitude when she’s older ๐
My nephew’s new thing has been to just grab a rake and address the leaves in the front yard all on his own. I haven’t tried that Multi-Surface Pledge – looks like something that would come in handy.
Though my daughter isn’t that little anymore, she did clean the living room today. She did a fabulous job, too!
My daughter always helps me with the cleaning . She loves being apart it!
We had many different chore chats over the years when the kids were growing up. It is a great way for everyone to see what they are supposed to do.
My kids love to help and like you I am a total control freak. I do let them help me though as long as it’s not a time sensitive task, it’s great for them to know how to do things,
I can understand your control freak feeling! I wish my 4 year old would show interest in helping with any sort of cleaning. So far, I have to tell hime 5 times to put his clothes in the hamper. His excuse. “Oops, I forgot.”.
My kids love to help me clean when they’re young. When they get to about 8 yrs old that’s totally over and done with, lol. Then, they whine when I ask. So now I’m taking it for granted that my youngest, who’s 4, still likes to help mommy.
Big fan of pledge, I use it ever weekend to clean around that house and it is such an amazing product!
Aww it’s so great that your little ones help you out. My little guy is only twenty months old but likes to brush the floor and play with the hoover ๐
My daughters love to help around the house and they can really do so now that they’re older. It’s good to let them help when they’re really young too so they get used to and start understanding the importance of it. For each age there’s a little something they can do ๐
I need to get this Pledge of our new oak dinning room table. My son loves using Windex to clean the windows and mirrors for me.
My kids love to help me clean. I actually have my 5 year old making his own bed every morning before school to get him on a good habit of doing so.
I use pledge around the house! So versatile!
Lately, my toddler like to help me prepare plates, spoons, etc for dinner.
I prefer all natural cleaners, but for those days when I just have to get everything cleaned & everyone under 4 foot tall likes to help, I swear by that Pledge Multi Surface! I would probably cry on those days without it.
I love having kids help around the home with basic cleaning and other such things because it helps prepare them for adulthood. Each child of mine helps in different ways, I feel it is important and you can make it so fun for them too!
Believe me when I say, take the help now because it doesn’t last with the kids when they get to be teens. lol I had taught my kids to do it the way I do so I didn’t have to go back and do it over. Thanks for sharing.
My son loves to use spray bottles, so I let him spray water on the windows when I’m cleaning them. I like the idea of the chore chart!
My youngest likes to help but the older ones forget it. Thanks for the post. =)
I let Baby Mash help me all the time. I want him to grow up to be helpful and independent….. if I never let him help that won’t happen. Even though sometimes his helping makes it take longer, that’s OK. lol
My kids LOVE to help me clean! We play a game called “Burst Mode”. We all stop what we’re doing, and super clean up for about 10 minutes. It’s so much fun and the house stays tidy! ๐